


Drachenfutter

by Tiberius_Tibia



Series: Lost in Translation [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers Family, Avengers Movie Night, Clint Barton Is a Good Bro, Domestic Avengers, Everyone is a good bro, Friendship, Hand Jobs, M/M, Makeup Sex, Motorcycles, Natasha Is a Good Bro, Oral Sex, Protective Bucky Barnes, Steve Has Issues, Steve Rogers Has Issues, Thor Is a Good Bro, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-08
Updated: 2014-11-08
Packaged: 2018-02-24 15:35:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2586716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiberius_Tibia/pseuds/Tiberius_Tibia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A new series of Stucky Stand-Alones.  Inspired by this gorgeous book: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20176282-lost-in-translation?from_search=true">Lost in Translation</a> An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World</p><p>Drachenfutter: (German)- literally “dragon fodder”, the gift a husband gives his wife when he’s trying to make up for bad behavior</p><p>In which Steve screws things up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Drachenfutter

There was no reason to worry. Steve knew that intellectually- couples argued all the time. They did things that upset and angered and irritated each other without it meaning anything serious. He and Bucky had quarreled before, driven each other crazy at times. It was tough living in each other’s pockets- especially through the brain-stunted, hormone-fueled years of their adolescence and early adulthood. Hell, he’d once given Bucky the cold shoulder for a week after he’d talked Steve into joining a hot dog eating contest with Bucky and his dock worker pals. Steve had scarfed down two and a half hot dogs in the time it took the other guys to put away fifteen or sixteen. He hadn’t even wanted the free grub, which had been Bucky’s main argument for entering them, only felt the burning humiliation of being so baldly shown up as the pathetic shrimp that he was in front of all those people. So yeah, he knew that fighting was normal.

And Bucky had made it clear he wasn’t giving Steve the silent treatment now- he was more mature than that. It was a sentiment Steve rather doubted considering that Sam had passed him the message. Bucky had been crashing at Sam’s for the past two nights, ever since the big Stark Americana Exhibit and the ensuing debacle. The first time he saw Bucky since that night, his erstwhile boyfriend and Sam showed up at Steve and Bucky’s apartment door in time for their usual Sunday run. But Bucky had simply pushed past Steve and stalked off towards their bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Steve started after him but Sam took his arm in a firm grip.

“Come on,” he said, “Barnes’ gonna run his own route today and you’ll both feel better with some endorphins pumping.”

“Did he say anything?” Steve asked, torn between frustration with Bucky and the desire to do whatever it took to just be friends again. He and Sam set off towards the mall at a pace that allowed Sam to maintain a conversation.

“Yeah, he wants you to know he’s not giving you the silent treatment.” Steve scoffed. Sam continued, “No man, listen, he’s not punishing you. That’s not what this is.”

“Then what is it exactly?”

“He’s not being pissy for the sake of being pissy. Believe me, I know how he can get. What he is now is angry,” Sam kept his voice carefully neutral.

“For no damn reason!” Steve tried to keep his own demeanor that cool, “It was nothing I couldn’t handle, nothing I haven’t done before and he knows that!”

Sam raised his hands in a ‘what can you do?’ gesture, “Point is he asked you not to go in there and you ignored him.”

“If I’d waited around for the fire department so much could have been lost- Stark has some priceless stuff in his collection. Not to mention the documents on loan from the Library of Congress! Pepper-“

“Pepper’s pretty damn pissed at you too. Don’t expect any sympathy from her,” Sam interrupted.

Steve shook his head. “I couldn’t just do nothing, alright?”

“I know man,” Sam sounded resigned, “And this is a conversation you’re gonna have to have with him. Just give him some space, ok? Let him know you wanna talk but you’ll let him decide when he’s ready.”

“Right. Fine.” Steve could hear anger in his tone. He hated being angry with his friends. Well, not with his friends. He wasn’t angry at Sam. He was angry _near_ Sam, but it was still ruining his jog.

“Go on and run yourself out, I’ll meet you on the grass in 45 minutes,” Sam told him. No further prompting needed, Steve took off running.

He invited Sam back for coffee afterwards, but Sam declined for exactly the same reason that Steve had invited him- well part of the reason he’d invited him. 

“Nope. I do not need that kind of awkwardness with my morning latte,” he quipped, jogging off towards his own apartment.

Steve had forgone his favorite French roast and brewed a pot of Bucky’s preferred blend- the strong, bitter Russian coffee that Steve had to add about a cup of sugar to before drinking- when Bucky returned from his own run. 

“There’s coffee,” he called when he heard Bucky kicking his shoes off in the hall. Bucky came into the kitchen with a Starbucks cup. He tapped it pointedly with one finger before tossing it into the trashcan and turning to leave.

“Its your Troika blend, so… I’ll leave the rest of it for you in the refrigerator… for, you know, iced coffee,” Steve said awkwardly to Bucky’s back. Bucky’s head jerked in a nod and he padded out of the kitchen without looking back at Steve. A moment later he heard the shower turn on and the bathroom door shut and lock.  


* * *

“Nothing’s working! I’ve tried everything I can think of- knives, picklocks, guns. I’ve offered him massages, done all the chores. He doesn’t want to go on a trip,” Steve glanced around at the assembled group with his best sad-puppy eyes, “I don’t want to fight anymore but he won’t meet me half way.”

“You sure he’s the one who won’t go half way?” asked Natasha, her expression inscrutable.  


“He knows me, Nat. He’s always known that I can’t just sit by while something bad happens. He’s acting like this is the first time that- “

“That you’ve ever done something so reckless even a mentally challenged clam would know better?” she quipped.

It wasn’t their usual night for hanging out but with Bucky still barely acknowledging him and Sam off on a mission, Steve had proposed a little Avengers bonding time. He, Thor, Natasha and Clint had made a big batch of breakfast-for-dinner foods and argued over what movie to watch. It’d come down to Ocean’s 11 or Braveheart with the latter winning out because heist movies made Thor sad; they reminded him too much of Loki. Now they were sitting around throwing playing cards into a upturned straw hat that Clint had worn for some unknown reason.

“That if I can do something, I _have_ to do something,” Steve insisted.

“Look- Steve,” Clint tossed a card. It bounced off the brim and landed face down. “Do you really want to fight about it? You did something he didn’t like- you can apologize and make up or you can drag it out waiting for him to make the first move.”

“Of course I don’t want to fight with him, I’ve been trying to apologize all week. I just don’t see why he’s making such a big deal about it all of a sudden.” Steve threw his last card. It landed on the brim and lay there, balanced precariously. Natasha shook her head. Overturning the hat, she swept the cards into a pile and began shuffling them.

“Think about it, Rogers,” she gave the cards a sharp riffle, “He always gets on you about doing reckless things, jumping out of planes, throwing yourself on grenades. Its the same kind of behavior you get on Tony’s case about- how many times have you yelled at him for not having a plan of attack?”

“I had a plan,” Steve protested, “I knew if I didn’t do something Stark’s whole showroom would have burned to the ground.”

“There weren’t any people inside,” commented Clint. Natasha dealt out the cards again.

“…There could have been,” said Steve not looking up, “Besides all those priceless documents and American masters- “

“Important relics, to be sure, but- “ began Thor.

“Those things are part of our history,” Steve said flatly.

“Yeah, I guess,” sighed Clint, “Barnes knows you're a crazy-brave bastard, its one of the things he loves about you. Lots of people love people who put themselves in harm’s way for a living.” He glanced at Natasha, her red head bent, still dealing the cards. His eyes warmed looking at her, “You live with uncertainty, because you know the other person will do the best they can to come back to you, that they want to come back to you. We all know how you feel about Bucky. We know he has no reason to doubt that. But what we see doesn’t matter- if that’s how he feels than you have to show him that you want to live, for him, for yourself, for whatever. Just reassure him…” Clint trailed off.

The night wound to a close soon after. Clint and Natasha were staying in the tower so Thor and Steve walked slowly together as far as Bryant Park.

“I wish you fortune in winning back your lover’s favor, Captain,” said Thor before they parted.

“Thanks, I have one last trick up my sleeve. If this doesn’t soften him nothing will.” Steve took out his phone and tapped the screen for a moment, bringing up a picture. He held it out to Thor. “1948 Vincent Black Shadow, such a beauty. We’ve been riding double on the Harley, but I know he’d like one of his own. Anyway, if this doesn’t win me some points I’m in real trouble.”

“A noble gift,” Thor handed back the phone and they walked in silence a few more paces before Steve broke in again.

“It was nice, you know? No questions, no wondering if this is the right or wrong thing, if someone’s behind it with ulterior motives, if I’m being played. Just- stop the fire, save some of the country’s treasures. It felt good. I used to feel that way when I was a little guy getting my ass kicked, I was just so sure of everything.”

“I do know. And friend Barnes knows your valor better than any, he would never doubt your courage. But listen to me, Captain Rogers, I know very well how the fervor for glory, for testing one’s mettle against any challenge. It can lead to great deeds but it can also lead to folly.” Thor clasped Steve's hand briefly in his own strong grip before turning away.  


* * *

  


Bucky didn’t like the bike. At least, he didn’t accept the bike as an apology. “For crying out loud Steve, what’d you go and do that for?”

Steve shrugged, “I thought you might like it. This way you can go wherever you want, no minders, no surveillance.” There was silence between them for a few moments. “Just don’t be sore at me anymore? Please?”

Bucky opened his mouth, then closed it again immediately. “I’m not…” His eyes crinkled the way they did when he was telling an unpleasant truth. At least he didn’t lie to me, Steve thought. He’d seen Bucky open his big eyes wide and turn up one corner of his mouth and lie like he was being paid a dollar for every word- or more like twenty dollars a word in these times- and he was grateful that at least Bucky was telling him the truth. 

“I’m _trying_ not to be mad at you Steve, I just don’t know how to make you understand.”

“I don’t know how to make you understand either! Nothing was gonna happen to me!” Steve's voice came out shriller than he'd intended.

“It's not just that- “

“You’re acting like you don’t know me, like you haven’t seen me do this a thousand times. Is it a memory thing? Something that just came back to you?”

Bucky rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “I didn’t just remember. It was one of the first memories I got back.”

Steve gritted his teeth together. “Well, I guess I’ll just give you more time to figure it out. I gotta go see Tony. Hope you like your gift.” He didn’t storm off. His movements were precise and forceful but he wasn’t storming. Bucky didn’t call after him.  


* * *

  


“Whoa boy, Pepper has been waiting to get her hands on you Cap. I hope your ready for a real old-school dressing down,” said Tony.  

“I’m really not in the mood, Stark.”

His bleak tone did little to dampen the engineer's glee. “Have you tried flowers? Chocolates? I’ve got a fifteen foot stuffed rabbit you can have- wait, scratch that. Don’t have the bunny anymore, but I can get you one.” He arched an eyebrow at Steve.

“Come on, leave it alone.”

  “Doesn’t have to be a bunny. What does Ivan the Terrible like? Bears? Penguins? Oh- I know! Raccoon! ‘Cause of the war paint and the way he used to rummage through your garbage at night and then run away as soon as the light went on.”

“Will you knock it off?” Steve snapped, “I’ve already tried that kind of thing. It didn’t work and I don’t know what else he wants from me.”

“Well it was kind of a dick move," said Tony with just a hint of smugness.

“How was it a dick move? I saved you from a _ton_ of property loss and damage. There could have been a wildfire, and I know _you_ don’t care about the art you buy but -“

“But what? The fire department was literally a minute away. They went in just a few steps after you. Incidentally, the LAFD- not big fans of yours at the moment. I think they feel like you stole their thunder. This hasn’t been a bad year for brushfires, we got rain just the other week.”

Steve was quiet, staring at his shoes. 

“Come on, Cap. You’re a reasonably smart guy, I know you can put this together," Tony said, "Pepper has a hard enough time with me almost dying when the world needs saving. Can you imagine the world of hurt I'd be in if I'd pulled a stunt like yours the other night?"

“He thinks his pain doesn’t matter to me. That I don’t care how he’d feel if I got hurt… Of course I care!”

“I know, but what he saw was you risking your life for a bunch of stuff, charging in ahead of the trained professionals, ignoring him when he asked you to stay out of it. You both put yourselves at risk to keep the world safe, and he’s okay with that. Or as okay as its possible to be with watching someone you love get shot at. This was just one time when he wanted not to have to worry about you.”  


* * *

  


Steve drove home slowly, lost in thought. He thought about Bucky as a kid- always backing him up in a fight without a second thought, Bucky in the war- following him into the most dangerous places when he hadn’t even wanted to be there at all, Bucky with him now- still at his back on all his Shield missions. _I’ll be damned, he spends most of his time watching me almost get killed._ He remembered the endless stretch of weeks searching for Bucky. The knot of dread in his stomach that formed when he first saw the Winter Soldier unmasked on the bridge had quickly metastasized into every part of his body during that awful search. It could have lasted longer, he could still be feeling that way even now if Bucky hadn’t saved him by coming home. Steve pulled over abruptly and made a U turn; he’d thought of one last gift that might prove to Bucky how much he meant to Steve.

It was evening when he arrived home. Bucky was curled on the couch reading A Confederacy of Dunces- one of Pepper’s recommendations. He didn’t say anything when Steve entered, but he swung his legs to the side, making room on the couch. Steve sat down beside him.

“How’s the not-being-mad going?” he asked.

Bucky sighed and closed the book. “Its coming.”

“I have something for you- no, before you say anything just open it.”

Steve held out the plain grey box with the last present he’d bought for Bucky. His palms started to sweat as he passed it to his friend. Bucky raised the lid and studied the contents.

“Okay. You got me a helmet to go with the bike.”

“Actually no. I got me a helmet, for my bike,” Steve said. Now his palms were sweaty _and_ he was breathing too fast. “I can’t promise that I’ll never get hurt, but I can promise that I’ll try not to. I don’t want to get hurt. Before I got you back I got in the habit of not looking before I leaped because I didn’t care where I landed. But now- now I have something to come back to, to come home to. And I don’t want to lose this- .”

The rest of his apology was muffled in Bucky’s hair when he surged forward into Steve’s arms.

“Thank you, Stevie. Thank you, thank you," he gripped the sides of Steve's face and gazed intently at him, "I don’t want you to quit being you- but you know Erskine said the serum amplifies what’s already there. And you ran around getting in fights like a snapping turtle on roller skates even before he got his hands on you. Now you just- running into a burning building on your own- ”

“It was dumb, Buck,” Steve interrupted, “It was so dumb of me. I wanted to do something simple, something I didn’t have to question if I was doing the right thing- I shouldn’t have gone in there on my own.”

  “Such a jerk,” Bucky said and kissed him. It had only been a few days, but Steve felt like he’d gone another seventy years without touching this man. Bucky had his arms around Steve’s neck, the motorcycle helmet still dangling from his right hand. He dropped it on the floor when Steve pushed him back to lie on the couch, bringing his huge body over Bucky’s own. They writhed against each other, taking up too much room to remain on the couch, and Steve rolled them both carefully to the floor without unwinding from Bucky. 

Bucky’s mismatched hands worked at opening both their pants, but Steve needed as much of that pale, beautiful, battle-scarred skin against his own as he could get. He peeled off first his own shirt, then Bucky’s. There was no lube within easy reach, and no way was Steve letting Bucky up now. He licked one of his broad palms, got it nice and slick, then wrapped his hand around them both. Bucky’s cock pulsed under his touch. His hips thrust forward into Steve’s hand and Steve used his other arm to hold Bucky down at the shoulders, making him let Steve set the rhythm. Both of Bucky’s strong, solid thighs came up around Steve’s waist and he linked his ankles behind Steve’s back. They kissed each other greedily, breaths mingling, noses bumping against each other. Bucky brought his metal hand up and fisted Steve's hair just hard enough to pull his scalp taut- just the way he liked it. Neither of them was going to last very long this time. When Bucky bent his head to Steve’s chest, alternately laving at Steve’s nipples with his tongue and worrying them gently with his teeth, Steve lost it. He jerked himself hard, coming across Bucky’s groin and belly in white streams. They lay with their foreheads pressed together, Steve’s hand unmoving on Bucky’s still hard cock, until Steve’s aftershocks receded.

They kissed again, all finesse gone, until Steve snaked his way down to take Bucky in his mouth. He let Bucky push in all the way until he was touching the back of Steve’s throat and Steve’s eyes were watering as he hollowed his cheeks. It took only a few, uncoordinated bobs of the head from Steve and a few weak thrusts from Bucky before he was spilling down Steve’s throat. He released Bucky when the flow of cum subsided and his lover was making the soft, pained mewls that meant he was too sensitive for any more. Relaxed in a way he hadn’t felt since before the opening Stark’s Avengers & Americana exhibit, Steve let his head droop onto the carpet. They both must have dozed off for a while, because Steve woke with a start, jerking to sit up and smacking his head against the coffee table in the process.

“Should start making you wear the helmet all the time,” Bucky murmured sleepily.

Steve grinned. It felt so good to have Bucky needling him again, “Well,” he snarked back, “Maybe just during sex.”

**Author's Note:**

> Steve gets Bucky a [Vincent Black Shadow](http://www.realclassic.co.uk/vincent07012300.html)


End file.
